ATLANTA — If Kathryn Bigelow ever decides to direct a sequel to “The Hurt Locker,” the filmmaker needs to find a role for Georgia coach Mark Richt.
Listen to Richt enough and you will hear a familiar refrain: We didn’t panic.
Richt has had ample opportunity to fret in his 12 seasons at Georgia, especially since it seems as if so many Georgia fans have had one hand on the panic button, 24/7/365.
Such is life in the SEC. Gene Chizik wins the national championship at Auburn for the 2010 season, and he’s fired after the 2012 season.
So when Richt and Georgia slogged through a 6-7 record in 2010, the panic level in Athens reached Salem witch-hunt levels.
What did Kipling write? “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you?”
Richt didn’t flinch, didn’t blame his only losing season on others. The guy who looks like an Oakley sunglasses model didn’t sweat.
“We didn’t panic,’’ he said this week. “We stayed the course and it worked out for us.’’
If the Bulldogs (11-1, 7-1 SEC) don’t panic today, if they don’t go into the SEC Championship Game with last year’s mentality (“Geez, it’s nice to be here!”) but with the belief they can upset No. 2 Alabama (11-1, 7-1), there is no reason Georgia can’t advance to play Notre Dame for the national championship.
Yes, three seasons after “Fire Richt!” was served up with every glass of sweet tea, Georgia can win the national title. The first task, of course, is today. The Tide beat down Georgia 42-10 in last season’s SEC title game, a loss the Dawgs believe changed their approach going into this game.
“We’re a different team than last year heading into the SEC Championship Game,’’ senior linebacker Christian Robinson said. “We were really excited, and I think we were just simply excited to be there and didn’t realize what we could have done [last year].
“We came out, had a great first half and didn’t finish like we wanted to. That’s been dwelling on our minds since then. Obviously, we lost a bowl game as well.
“This whole season we’ve won a lot of games, but we haven’t celebrated like we want to yet because we’re not satisfied with where we’re at. Once we accomplish all those goals, that’s when we’ll start celebrating. So we’re a hungry and humbled group that’s ready to get to the game.’’
Alabama also has motivation, beginning with defending its national championship. The Tide seemed to be on cruise control until a magician named Johnny Manziel led Texas A&M into Tuscaloosa and upset them.
The Tide then took care of business while Oregon and Kansas State got knocked out. Here they are again, though the pass defense has been suspect and the offense has lost several playmakers to injury. Georgia might finally have the right team at the right time.
“It was very motivating,’’ senior receiver Tavarres King said. “You know, we were in that game last year. We know what it takes to get there. I feel like now we know what it takes to win.
“That game last year was a tough one, still tough to swallow because we were playing so well for a half and came out flat in the second half. We know we can’t do that. We know it’s going to be a 60-”‘minute fight, and we can’t worry about it.’’
Georgia doesn’t seem worried. And Richt isn’t about to panic.
When the Bulldogs got blasted at South Carolina, its only loss of the season, Georgia fans started twitching. Not Richt.
“Well, first of all, South Carolina did a great job that day,’’ he said. “We were at their place. They started hot. We just couldn’t stop the momentum. We lost together, so we had to regroup together. We didn’t panic.’’
Of course not.